Boat lift



Feb. 12, 1952 E. D. LE MAY ET AL 2,585,664

BOAT LIFT Filed Sept. 20, 1947 a Sheetshee: i

INVENTOR-S frnesfD Le y 3 Y fujenelfi Wh Feb. 12, 1952 E. D. LE MAY ETAL2,585,664

BOAT LIFT Filed Sept. 20, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS .Frnes+ D. LMgy {f z Eqyene KlV/wv e Patented Feb. 12, 1952 2,585,664 I C E.

BOAT LIFT Ernest Le May, Birmingham, Ala.; and Eugene K. White,Owensboro, Ky.

Application September 20, 1947, Serial No. 775352 light weight boat liftembodying a supporting frame disposed to rest on the ground beneath'thewater line, and-a vertically movable boat frame disposed over thesupporting frame, together with cranks or links for raising and loweringthe 1 Claim. 11. 254 50) boat frame with-respect to the supportingframe.

Another object of our invention is to provide a boat liftof thecharacter described embodying an elongated operating handle for the boatframe elevating mechanism whereby the same may be operated from the boatafter the same is posi- .1.

tioned over the boat frame, or may be operated from a position alongsidethe boat, in either'case Without the operator having to enter the water.

A further object of our invention is to provide a boat lift of thecharacter designated in which 1 one end of the boat frame is pivoted toone end vide a boat lift in which a crank is mounted in each end of thesupporting frame and pivotally connected to the underside of the boatframe, together with an elongated handle for operating one of thecranks, thus to raise both ends of the boat frame substantially the sameamount,

thereby providing a structure in which a boat may be wholly floated intoposition over the device and raised from or lowered into the water by asimple movement of the handle.

Apparatus embodying the features of our invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. l is a side view of our improved boat lift showing a boat inposition thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the boat removed;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the adjustable mud sills;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line V V of Fig. 1; V

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and showing a slightly modified formof our invention;

.Fig. 7 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 6;'

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the modification shown in Figs. 6and 7;

Fig..9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing a still further modifiedform of our boat lift;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of Fig. 9; and r Fig. 11 is a rear elevationalview of the device shown in Figs. 9 and 10. v

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding ofour'invention, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive thereof,ourim- 2 proved boat lift comprises a supporting frame indicatedgenerally by the numeral I6. The supporting frame is formed oflongitudinal members -II and front and rear cross members I2. The entiredevice is Supported on vertically and angularly adjustable mud sills I3placed at each corner of the supporting frame. As seen more clearly inFig. 4, each of the mud sills comprises tubular members I4 carrying attheir lower end mud shoes I6. The tubular portion I4 is provided with aplurality of holes I6a, the member 14 being telescopically received in ashort section of tubing I1, and connected thereto by means of a pin I8.Welded to a side of the short section II is a projecting pin or tube I9,the outer end of which is telescopically received within a socket 2|,Welded to the longitudinal members II at the corners of the frame. Thesockets 2| are provided with a plurality of holes 22 and a pin 23 passesthrough these holes and through the member I9 whereby the entire mudsill may be rotated in the sockets 2|, thus providing for angularadjustment of the sills. Vertical adjustment is made by means of the pinI8 and holes I6. The boat frame of our improved device, indicatedgenerally by the numeral 24, comprises a pair of longitudinal members 26and 21 which may conveniently be light weight channels. Extending acrossand joined to the members 26 and 21 are fore and aft boat cradles 28 and29, respectively. The cradle 29 may be secured to the members 26 and 21by means of screws 3 I and the forward cradle 28 is adjustable fore andaft on the longitudinal members 26 and 21 by means of depending brackets32 and nuts and bolts 33. See

Fig. 5. The forward cradle may, therefore, be

moved axially along the members 26 and 21 to accommodate boats ofdifferent lengths.

The forward end of the boat frame 24 is pivotally mounted on atransverse rod 34 mounted at each end on brackets 36 and 31, welded tothe supporting frame members II.

39 and 4| are the ends of the legs of an elongated -U-shaped operatinghandle 47.

and using the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,will be readily understood. The supporting frame may be placed on asloping bottom at the edge of a lake or otherbody of water to lie-with'its aft end submerged beneath the water line, indicated generally by theletter W in Fig. 1. With the handle 41 in the raised position as shownin the full lines of Fig. 1, a boat B may be floated between the legs ofthe operating handle to overlie the rear cradle 29 and with its prowangularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the boatlift, whereupon the prow of the boat may be'manually lifted onto thecradle 28. With the boat thus positioned, the operator, standingeitherfiin the boat or on a suitab e tf r -alon i hebeatli t. g asp h,upper end of'the U-shapecl handle M and pulls t eseme. d wnwardly-t thedo t dli e p t on sho n; sh. This caus he roll r ,52, to

about the points id andv 45 thus to raise therear englof the boat frame524' zandthe boat clear of thewa e T e prow h b at. be n p v tedontheshaftt4 whichisdisposed forwardly of the 1 ,mq 'yupwardl as d atdrt e ahd ep vot ns forward cradle 28,'i-s raised further out of the a.

water, the boat frame being substantially hori- Zqntal, when the handleis the. .lower position. The boat B is thus raised, out of, the waterand he on th oat frame by asimple. dow ward .movementof handle 6].Conversely. when it, is

desired to lower the boat into the water, the handle 41 is raisedupwardly, lowering the, rear e d o the boat and, y lift ng the p ow ofthe bea Qu i t q le 28 t e at s a ain. water borne and may be floatedfrom between the legs of he u-shape handle, 4i.

Referring w m re par i ularly t F gs... 6, '11, an B; w lOW a l stlvmodieed form of the b at lift he-Wain Figs- 1. tot in usive. 11 thismodification, a pair of cams 53 and 54am welded sst 5.6- a d 51 teacross-r d 8.nperativa1y co nected at its ends to-a U-shaped handle; 59.The

cross rod 58 is supported suitable bearing brackets Bland-:62; carriedby the longitudinal members ll ofthe supporting frame H). The front endof the boat frame is pivotally mounted on a. rod in the same manner asthat, already described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The cams 53 and 54 are disposed to engage the underside of the members26 and 21 SQ that when the handlebd is moved to the dotted, positionshown in Fig; 6 the boat frame Z4 is raised as already explained.

Re r g n to Fi s- 1G. and 11, we show a further vmodification of ourboatlift in which the supporting frame I 0 is adapted to be disposedwholly beneath the water line, W and in which the boat frame when inlowered position also lies beneath the water line, thereby making it,possible to float the boat into position to be raised.

In this modification, we provide fore and aft crank arms 64 and 66,respectively, mounted in suitable bearing brackets .67 and 68. carriedby the supporting frame Hi. The transversev portions 69 and H of thecrank are pivotally connected by means of suitable bearings 12. and 13tosthe underside of the longitudinal members 14 and-l6 forming the mainmembers of the boat frame.

The fore and aft cradles 28 and 29 cross connect i In the operation ofthis modification, the boat is floated into position above the cradles28 and 29 and the handle 11 is brought downwardly. The frame members 14and 16 of the boat frame act as links between the cranks 64 and 66 sothat the motion. of crank 68 is transmitted to crank 64 to cause upwardpivotal movement to the latter crank. The stops l8 and 19 prevent thearms from reaching dead center when the boat frame is in the lowerposition thereby making it possible to raise the boat frame upwardlyresponsive to upward, movement of crank 66.

If desired, a pin 8! may be secured, to aside of the crank 64 thus toact as a stop for the end of handle Ti when the same is in down positionshown'in dotted; line, Fig. 9,, thereby to .makethe handle accessiblefor upward movement. It. also will be noted in connection with themodification shown in Figs. 9 to 1-1 that the stop 8| 'is so positionedthat the cranks 54 and 66 travel past vertical center so that theweight'of the boat and the boat frame tend to hold the boatin the-raisedposition.

Referring again to Fig. '7, it will be apparent that stops 82, similarto the stop 8-], maybe provided. in this modification to preventthehandle 59 from traveling beneath the water and that these stops may beso positioned that the load supporting point of the cams 53 and 54 whenin the raised position are past the pivot point on which they aresupported, thereby: preventing the handle from rotating upwardlyresponsive to the weight of the boat.

From the foregoing, it will, be apparent that we have devised animproved boat lift which is economical of manufacture and simple ofOpera:- tion. In acti-ia l practice, we have found that a boat lift madein accordance with our invention is satisfactory in every way;

While we have shown our invention in several forms, it will be obviousto. those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various other changes and modifications, withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that onlysuch, limitations shall :be placed thereupon as are specifically setforth :in the appended claim.

What we claim is:

In a boat lift, a supporting frame, a boat frame pivotally mounted at.oneend to the supporting frame, a U-shaped handle .of .a width tostraddle a boat on said boat frame v and of a length to extend past anend ofa boat on said boat frame and having its legsxpivoted' to thesupporting frame adjacent the free end of the boat frame, the ends ofthe legs projecting past the pivot points thereof, and a roller carriedin the projecting ends of the legs and supporting the free end of theboat frame.

ERNEST D. LEMAY. v EUGENE 'WHI'IE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

